books.google.com.au - "Welcome to Grail, Louisiana¨next to nothing and just beyond reality¨where hoodoo meets Jesus, and townsfolk pray to both. This dark fantasy delves into the psychological and motivational depths of Grail and its residents. Miss Sedele mixes up green cocktails called ˘cryptoverdes÷ at Le Bon Chance....https://books.google.com.au/books/about/Louisiana_Breakdown.html?id=hYgrAAAAYAAJ&utm_source=gb-gplus-shareLouisiana Breakdown

Louisiana Breakdown

"Welcome to Grail, Louisiana¨next to nothing and just beyond reality¨where hoodoo meets Jesus, and townsfolk pray to both. This dark fantasy delves into the psychological and motivational depths of Grail and its residents. Miss Sedele mixes up green cocktails called ˘cryptoverdes÷ at Le Bon Chance. Vida Dumars, owner of the Moonlight Diner, peers into the deepest realms of her customers' hearts as though they were picture windows. Town spirit Good Gray Man has promised good fortune to the town as long as it hangs onto tradition. A quirky, fantastical town's heart and soul are slowly, often painfully revealed in this dark and captivating novella."

About the author (2003)

Lucius Shepard was born in Lynchburg, Virginia in 1947. He wrote in many different genres including science fiction and fantasy, cyberpunk, magical realism, poetry, and non-fiction. He published his first short stories in 1983 and his first novel, Green Eyes, in 1984. His other works include Life During Wartime, The Jaguar Hunter, and Two Trains Running. He won several awards including the John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer in 1985, the Nebula Award for the novella R&R, the Hugo Award for the novella Barnacle Bill the Spacer, and the Shirley Jackson Award for the novella Vacancy. He died on March 18, 2014 at the age of 66.

Poppy Z. Brite is the author of seven novels, three collections of short stories, and much miscellanea. Known for her horror fiction, at present she is working on a series of novels and short stories set in the New Orleans restaurant world. Her novel Liquor was recently published to general critical acclaim, and her followup novel, Prime, will be released in 2005. She lives in New Orleans with her husband Chris, a chef.